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Please know that this statement is not born out of conceit, but rather from questions I hear people ask: “Why, when I follow a recipe for a braised dish, doesn’t it taste like the one at the restaurant?”

This goes back to the core purpose of my column: I can give you a recipe of ingredients but if you don’t know the whys and hows, the dish won’t turn out right.

Flavor profiles aside (because those are subjective and I want you to work with flavors you trust and understand), the three main points I have seen home cooks gloss over are:

■ 1. The initial flavor development via marinade and/or searing.

■ 2. The importance of the resting period.

■ 3. The utilization of the lifeblood of the braise — the liquid.

Using lamb shanks as our protein, we are going to stress the points above in this week’s guide. Lamb shanks are both delicious and affordable. They are sold as fore or hind shanks, depending on where they come from on the animal. Hind shanks are bigger and have better yield, but they can be too big and irregular in shape. I like to use fore shanks because I think they are consistent in shape and a great portion size for one.

For the flavor profile we are going to mix three spices or blends: cumin, garam masala and curry powder. A few things you should know: Curry powder is a spice mix invented by the West, and is not typically found in Thailand or India. In Thailand, people make a fresh curry paste and in India they make a blend called garam masala, which often differs by region, family and product being cooked. For today’s guide, we’ll use the curry powder, cumin and garam masala sold in the spice section of your local market.

The first thing we will do is dry-toast the spices to unleash their flavor. Who knows how long those spices have been in your cupboard or on the store shelf? Wake them up by toasting them. We will then combine them with yogurt, onions and garlic and marinate the shank in the mixture overnight. The yogurt’s acidity will tenderize the shank while keeping the spices adhered to it.

Next, we will grill the shank, creating an incredible crust and a foundation of flavor. Then we will add coconut milk and chicken stock to our marinade, braise the shanks and let them rest overnight. Yes, overnight. That means a day to marinade, a day to cook, and rest. So you won’t be eating these until the third day. And that’s why my braise tastes better than yours. Have you ever made pot roast or beef stew and you swear it tastes better the second day? It does! This is because the protein rests in the juice and osmosis will pull the flavor into the meat. Don’t skip this step.

When it’s finally time to consume these shanks we are going to pick the meat from the bone and then strain and use the braising liquid as the sauce for our dish. We spent so much time building and developing the liquid, it would be a waste not to use it.

To serve, we are going to simply place the meat and braising liquid over warm rice and garnish with coconut, soybeans and golden raisins. It is a very humble approach to plating but it’s quite appropriate for the magnitude of flavor you are about to consume.

In a large bowl, mix spices into yogurt. Add garlic, thyme, onion and lamb shanks and toss to coat. Marinate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Turn on grill. Wipe marinade off of shanks but save marinade in bowl. Season shanks with salt and pepper and then grill on all sides. Really try to get a strong sear to develop flavor. Add chicken stock and coconut milk to marinade and whisk together. Season with salt.

In a clean pan, add shanks and pour liquid mixture over the shanks. Cover with foil and place in oven. Braise for 3 hours or until meat completely pulls off the bone. Flip the shanks over halfway through the cooking process for more even cooking.

Remove the pan from the oven and carefully remove foil. Let sit on counter for 30 minutes.

Gently lift shanks out and place in clean pan. Strain the braising liquid. Discard the solids and pour the liquid back over the shanks. Place in refrigerator and let rest overnight in liquid.

Remove any solidified fat from the pan. Place pan in 350-degree oven until meat is warm. Remove meat from bone.

To serve: Place some white or brown rice in four bowls. Divide the meat between the four bowls. Ladle the braising liquid over the top and garnish with soybeans, golden raisins and coconut.

From and tested by Chef Benjamin Meyer. Nutrition information not available.